1. Introduction & Background

1.1Albury Parish Council (APC) has prepared this Neighbourhood Plan for the area designated by the local planning authority, Guildford Borough Council (GBC) on 22nd February 2017. The area coincides with the parish boundary (see MAP G). The Plan is being prepared in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations of 2012 (as amended).

1.2The purpose of the Neighbourhood Plan is to set out a series of planning policies that will be used to determine planning applications in the area in the period to 2041. The Plan will form part of the development plan for the parish, alongside the Guildford Borough Local Plan: strategy and sites 2015 – 2034 adopted on the 25 April 2019. The Borough Council adopted part 2 of its Local Plan, Development Management Policies, on 22 March 2023.

1.3Neighbourhood Plans provide local communities with the chance to manage the quality of development in their areas. Once approved at a referendum, the Plan becomes part of the Council’s statutory development plan and carries significant weight in how planning applications are decided in the neighbourhood area. Plans must therefore contain only land use planning policies that can be used for this purpose. This often means that there are important issues of interest to the local community that cannot be addressed in a Plan if they are not directly related to planning. Although there is scope for the local community to decide on its planning policies, Neighbourhood Plans must meet all the relevant basic conditions (see Figure 1 - Neighbourhood Plan - Basic Conditions below).

Neighbourhood Plan - Basic Conditions

1.4In addition, the Parish Council will need to demonstrate to an independent examiner that it has successfully engaged with the local community and stakeholders in preparing the Plan. If the examiner is satisfied that it has, and considers the Plan meets the above conditions, then the Plan will go to a referendum of the local electorate. If a simple majority (over 50%) of the turnout votes in favour of the Plan, then it becomes adopted as formal planning policy for the neighbourhood area.

The levelling up and Regeneration bill

1.5The Government published the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in May 2022 which provides a new framework for the planning system. Neighbourhood planning continues to form an important part of the planning system, and the Bill sets out what details can be included within a Neighbourhood Plan, reiterates the weight given to Neighbourhood Plans in the decision-making process and also proposes a more simplified version of the neighbourhood plan process.

‘NET ZERO STRATEGY AND ENVIRONmENT ACT 2021

1.6The Government’s Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener - October 2021 confirms a commitment to review the NPPF to make sure it contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation as fully as possible. The Environment Act introduces a range of measures to protect and improve the environment and address species decline, including introducing biodiversity net gain. It supports the creation of a Nature Recovery Network, including Local Nature Recovery Strategies and measures to increase investment in and action for nature, and Conservation Covenants.

The Pre-Submission Plan

1.7This is the opportunity for the Parish Council to formally consult on the final proposed vision, objectives and policies of the Draft Neighbourhood Plan (the Pre-Submission Plan). A preliminary parish consultation took place between April and June 2024 and the results can be found in APPENDIX L. The Parish Council has reviewed the relevant national and local planning policies and assessed how they affect this area. It has also gathered its own evidence, and its reports are published separately in the evidence base.

Strategic Environmental Assessment & Habitats Regulations Assessment

1.8A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) assesses the environmental implications of a proposed policy or Plan. It allows for the cumulative effects of development and policies to be assessed and addresses any identified issues at an early stage alongside economic and social considerations. A screening request was submitted to GBC in 2024 for this purpose in accordance with the Environmental Assessment of Plans & Programmes Regulations 2004 (as amended). An SEA report was commissioned in 2025. It was prepared by AECOM and can be found in APPENDIX Q.

1.9The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group consulted GBC to confirm if an HRA would be needed given the proximity of the neighbourhood area to a range of internationally protected habitats including the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) and Thursley, Ash, Pirbright and Chobham Special Area of Conservation (SAC. GBC undertook an assessment and advised that this would not be required. Their report can be found at APPENDIX M.

The Next Steps

1.10The Parish Council has reviewed the comments made by parishioners who participated in the Neighbourhood Plan consultation in 2024 APPENDIX L, assessed where amendments were required, and prepared this final draft version of the Plan and submitted it to Guildford Borough Council for a further consultation, to arrange for its examination by an independent examiner and subsequent referendum, if the examiner is satisfied that the draft plan meets the basic conditions.